Cooper may have gone overboard in delineating the hardships of blue-collar life in Out of the Furnace. But he has a gift for getting actors to put some muscle into their work, and enough finesse to make sure the sweat doesn't show.

Parents need to know that Out of the Furnace is a revenge thriller set in steel mill town in Pennsylvania near the Appalachians. It features some bloody, gory violence, mostly in the form of underground, bare-knuckle boxing matches. One character is a psychopath who beats up, shoots, and/or kills several characters. He also roughs up a woman. The main character drives drunk, causes an accident, and goes to jail. Characters drink a good deal of beer and whisky, and the bad guy is a drug dealer, and hard drugs are sometimes shown and/or discussed. Language is very strong, with fairly frequent use of "f--k." Sex is not an issue, though there is a loving couple shown, and the woman is said to be pregnant. The movie's strong suit is its acting, and it may enthrall some older teens, but it's not recommended for younger viewers.

Families can talk about the movie's intense violence. Is this kind of violence meant to thrill, or is it meant to establish a certain kind of mood?

Why do the characters in this small town seem to drink so much alcohol? How realistic is their behavior while drinking and the consequences that result?

Why are revenge stories so satisfying? What is gained by revenge? What is lost?

The good stuff

Messages: The movie tells a simple revenge story. A man decides to exact his own justice when the law fails him. He learns no lessons, and everything ends in despair.

Role models: The main character tries hard to be a good person, fails on all counts, and winds up having nothing in his life but violence and revenge.

What to watch for

Violence: Some of the sequences involve underground, bare-knuckle boxing, which is brutally violent and bloody. Characters go crazy and pummel their fallen opponents, resulting in gory injuries. There is a brutal prison fight. Characters are smashed in the face with guns. One character is a vicious psychopath who beats up innocent bystanders and murders characters in cold blood (with guns). In one scene, he treats a female date roughly, grabbing her and throwing her to the ground. We see an auto accident, and a bloody head is visible through the wrecked car window, as well as a pair of immobile, child's feet. A character tells gruesome stories about the Iraq war. Hunters gut and clean a dead deer.

Sex: A loving couple is shown waking up in bed together. They talk about having a baby. Later, the woman mentions that she's pregnant by another man.

Language: Very strong language includes mainly uses of "f--k" and "motherf--ker." "S--t," "c--t," "Goddamn," "son of a bitch," "balls," and "swear to God" are also used. A middle finger gesture is used.

Consumerism: Not applicable

Drinking, drugs and smoking: The main character drives drunk, causes an accident, and goes to prison. A supporting character is a drug dealer. He injects some kind of unknown drug (with a needle and spoon) that seems to give him energy. "Glass" (crystal meth) is mentioned as drug for sale. The main character buys drugs as a means of finding the bad guy. Most characters are seen drinking fairly often, mostly beer and whisky, but sometimes other hard liquor.

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